The Twilight Saga: Eclipse Reviews

Eclipse is uninspiring and yet more action-based than its previous two installments. Though the action brings it up a step, the rest of its direction brings down further to the trenches. 2.5/5

Okay

I choose to wait until they arrive on TV, but I have watched the first three Twilight movies. From the story point of view, I preferred Twi1 and Twi2 over Twi3. Twi3 didn't add much. We always knew that Bella was torn between Jacob and Edward, but that she would choose Edward. I guess by getting the vampires and werewolves to work together, they can keep both sets in the last two movies.

I can see why David Slade wanted a piece of the action, Twilight is loved just as much as it is hated but I don't think he brought anything new to the franchise. I don't see how people can get so excited about a story in which absolutely nothing happens. It's incredibly boring, the actors certainly look bored, most of which could have been replaced by cardboard cut outs, in fact the special effects are so bad that I'm wondering if they actually used cardboard cut outs. So forgettable I've forgotten what film I'm supposed to be reviewing.

Average at best.

Surprisingly Great! I never thought I would like the third chapter in a series better than both of it's predecessors, but this movie severely proved me wrong. It intrigued me and moved me away from what the second did absolutely wrong. New Moon felt a little messy and the original felt a little too melodramatic with it's overblown glockable romance scenes, whereas this film created new levels in cinematic romance. Even if you are not a fan of Twilight, I say you catch up on the films and go out for a satisfying time at the movies. The first two films were more set as a rental, for some reason I love the direction that this movie has taken. There is finally some peace made and it just seemed to evil by the end of Twilight, so much that it can never be thought that it could have been changed here. The characters were brought to life with flashbacks and stories, which becomes much more satisfying for a confused movie watcher. Somehow the actors and actresses pulled all of their strings and brought whatever they had from their acting career to the table, showing that they had much more talent than that of what they showed in the previous installments. The action seems a little overdone at some points and it does seem to take a while, but it is fine by me when they bring new things, such as comedy and wit. The series has finally leveled out and is now reaching a point where it just has to stay. I will fight for these films until the last frame! They have a chance!

It's been billed as the biggest film of the year and perhaps it will be, but it has some stiff competition from the likes of Harry Potter coming this winter, so let's see if Eclipse really deserves that prestigious title.

The vampire and werewolf love saga has been bitterly disappointing so far with a dull first instalment and a hideously depressing second. Add to this some excruciatingly painful running times of over two hours and you have death by celluloid.

But perhaps I'm being a little unfair; this third instalment has been based on perhaps the most exciting book of the four in the series so it already has a good starting point and some convincing performances from the actors really do make this film a huge leap ahead of what preceded it.

The storyline to this film is pretty much non-existent but director David Slade does a good job of turning zilch into another depressing, but well made two hour love fest. Robert Pattinson (Edward Cullen), Kristen Stewart (Bella Swan) and Taylor Lautner (Jacob) return as the three main leads and their love triangle becomes even more confusing this time around, with frowning faces and awkward kisses galore. Add to this an army of newborn vampires ready to rip the very flesh of Bella Swan's bones and it's getting pretty tense down in Forks.

Sadly, even with a whole army of vampires and werewolves fighting in the finale, this small increase in action doesn't take away from the fact that the film drags in more than one place with blocks of dialogue that feel as if they're going to last a lifetime. It's unfortunate as the action pieces look excellent and the CGI, especially in the werewolves has improved leaps and bounds between New Moon and Eclipse. This shamefully vain dialogue with unnecessary close-ups of Robert Pattinson's face, Kristen Stewart's eyelashes and Taylor Lautner's chest are surely there just to appeal to the female fans and do nothing to progress the story.

It is these main three characters that hinder the film; their stilted dialogue and mediocre acting overshadow the rest of the cast who are all superb. Newcomer Bryce Dallas Howard playing red head vampire Victoria is seriously underused along with the whole Cullen flock who are not given enough room to breathe between the heavy central dialogue. Their acting is fantastic, why not use them more? Thankfully, it isn't all tears before bedtime with some well-timed comic humour from Bella's dad, Charlie. Played by Billy Burke, he is the only character of the used variety that leaps off the screen and he does so well, playing to his strengths as an actor.

Overall, Eclipse moves the game on but only very slowly. David Slade has crafted a beautifully shot movie with some excellent action pieces; but it still remains dull as ditch water because of bland performances from the lead cast and chunky dialogue. It's bound to please fans but biggest film of the year? I think we'll be seeing a certain boy wizard holding that honour for 2010.

The cinematic torture continues. In the third installment of the overly-pretentious Twilight series, some chick wants revenge for what Edward did to that one bad guy at the end of the first movie and not the werewolves and vampires have to join sides to fight the Volturi. Normally, when one thinks of vampires and werewolves joining sides to fight, the first thing that comes to mind is a badass movie. Instead, anything that could've been epic was destroyed by being part of this movie. There's also a love triangle going on and it's between tinker bell (Edward), shark boy (Jacob) and the girl with no personality. (Bella) Bella has to choose between Edward and Jacob and that makes the movie nothing more or less than a will-she-or-won't-she story. One thing that's certain is that Bella is one of the most annoying characters ever. She's a whiny, spoiled, overly-dramatic, dull, needy bitch. She constantly goes on about how she loves Edward more than he loves his own hair, yet she's going around kissing Jacob. When it all comes down to things, Bella is pretty much responsible for all the drama in this series, all because she's a whore. I also stand by saying that she is way too dramatic. Whenever she's kissed, she gasps loudly. Whenever she gets slightly touched, she gasps loudly. Whenever she sees the tiniest amount of blood, she gasps loudly. I bet you anything she'd have a heart attack if somebody told her that her shoe was untied. The first half of the movie is nothing but time filler. Nothing happens except for a poorly played out romance and we still have to deal with a bunch of boring-ass characters and shitty acting. Seriously, what is it going to take to get Kristen Stewart to show some emotion? She just has this blank stare in every single scene she's in and her voice is just a monotonous device to put someone to sleep. Pattinson is just as dull as her and Lautner is the one who shows to much emotion. Every scene he's in he has this look: >:( I'd like to say that this movie has plot holes, but it would actually require a plot in the first place so I'll just say that this plot-less movie is riddled with inconsistencies. One is the fact that everybody is willing to die for Bella, the girl who has yet to do anything for anybody. The idea of Edward always doing a bunch of stupid stuff for a annoying person like Bella is just unbelievable. An example of that would be if Edward and Bella were taking a stroll through a park, bella trips on a rock, whines about it, and then Edward makes a hammy speech about how it's his fault she tripped and he has to leave her forever. Same stuff in each movie. The movie is a two hour long drama for anybody willing sit through a boring romance with shark boy losing his shirt all the time. The only thing that I found remotely watchable was the fight scene near the end. You find out that punching a vampire in the face makes them break like glass and that was somewhat interesting. (Gone are the days when a wooden stake though the heart does the trick.) If you're a teenage girl, then this movie is basically the movie you can't miss. But if you want something a little more well written, well acted and well directed, then stay away from all Twilight movies. You're better off watching a movie where Bella doesn't have a panic attack every time Edward leaves her sight.

David Slade continues the third installment of the highly dramatic saga with Eclipse.At nearly two hours, Eclipse isn't exactly an easy sit through. The story is a slow burn and it has monotonous written all over it; however, aside from the romantic love triangle that makes up this series, there are some historical moments for a few of the supporting characters, as well as the werewolves. Despite not being overly integral to the main storyline, these become interesting pieces to the plot.With the usual vampires and werewolves running about, it's sad to say that the action is far and few in between. There is nowhere near enough to make up for the rest of the nonchalant film. The violence level is also low and the CG is only acceptable.It is difficult to fault the acting with Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson putting up tame and undistinctive performances because that is what they are going for with the two leads. The more energetic performers in Bryce Dallas Howard and Ashley Greene are underutilized.Eclipse does have its ups and downs and by the end it is merely a watchable romantic fantasy.

Major improvement on the series, enjoyed the action scenes, but still dont enjoy the romance and shirtless guys. But is still a major improvement. They actually get into character development for once, and had some good action for once, THANK YOU! The plot had some problems, but compare it to the first two, and it rocks. I actually saw some good acting in the tent when Wdqard and Jacob are talking about Bella. Im never gonna be a fan of Twilight, but this is the only good installment.

This movie is fucking bullshit. Silly, silly, silly-ass bullshit. I want my two dollars back. I found this movie so grating for a million different reasons. And to think everyone says that it's the best of the bunch. Freaking honestly, how do you screw up a movie about an army of evil vampires fighting with werewolves? HOW? In fact, how do YOU screw up a movie this badly, David Slade, Mr 30-Days-of-Night? I kept wishing for a vampire to get so angry that they screeched at the sky before they wyled out. Why on Earth would you take on this project to begin with, Slade? It does everything wrong, from the pacing to the characters to even the tiniest details. The camera pans out, revealing Edward Cullen and Bella cuddling, as reflected in a mirror. I grit my teeth. The werewolf animation was completely wooden and stiff that I didn't buy the illusion for a moment, but I did kind of like the way vampire flesh can shatter like marble if another vampire punches them hard enough. Come to think of it, that is this series' only departure from canon I even remotely liked. But still, you can kill a vampire by punching it really hard? Gimme some brass knuckles and stand back, baby! And why did you put this big fight so far toward the end of the movie? It's not as if the audience is going to be doing anything during the drama besides waiting for it. The entire first hour and a half of this movie isn't story; it's postponement of what we came to see. You guys are all assholes. Oh, and just because something is long as hell, doesn't mean it's a "saga", and calling it that won't magically grant the existence of a story. Nice try.

Bryce Howard was all wrong as Victoria. She kept dwelling on her vulnerability and grief, which completely undermined her effectiveness as a villain. Her plan was assinine too. If I was hatching a plan that was trying to work around a clairvoyant on my enemies' side, here's what it would look like: Step 1: Kill Alice. Step 2: Restrain Edward. Step 3: Kill Bella in front of Edward. Step 4: Watch and laugh as Edward kills himself. This movie is like the Puss-Weeds Parade: a whole bunch of navel-gazing, whimpering simpering saps stumbling over thier lines, thier emotions and each other. It kills me how many people are willing to throw themselves between a bullet and Bella Swan, a girl who never does anything for anybody, and whose only discernable characteristics are her clumsiness and her drooling love for Edward. Seriously, she defines herself through him the way fanatical muslims define themselves through Islam: I wonder what Edward is doing right now, I wonder what Edward would think of this, Edward said this the other day, I know Edward can protect me, blah blah blah. What the fuck is wrong with you? Jacob is even worse, with his stalking, sulking, leering and pathetic obsession. "I will love you until you stop breathing"? What the hell does that mean? That's some Slipknot shit right there. I'm not kidding, "I will kill you to love you" are the lyrics of Iowa. The one and only bright spot in this movie is Xavier Samuel, who you might remember getting his ass handed to him in The Loved Ones. The poor guy must have thought he was in an actual horror movie, because he behaves like a badass, vampire ringleader should. He's quite intimidating at times, radiating the sort of angry evil bloodlust that characterizes the essence of the monster he's playing. He's pretty easy on the eyes to boot. He must die! There are no vampires allowed in this movie. This is Twilight.

Finally we have a Twilight-film that accomplishes on surprisingly many levels. This is a proof that when the director is talented enough, he can make miracles happen. David Slade, who is one of the brightest new directors in the filmworld, shows all his skills with Eclipse and makes it a emotionally thrilling ride. Eclipse is easily the most balanced entry into the series. Slade give his characters time and space to breath and finally we learn something about these vampires and who they are. Sure it is still all about hard choices, teenage-love and rivalry, but at the same time it feels honest and there are even touching moments this time around. Whoever is making the next Twilight-film, he need to do miracles if he wants to top this one. Eclipse is wonderful example of good filmmaking and a further proof of David Slade's huge talent.

I watched this film as a non- twilight fan and I remain a non-twilight fan. Poor script and bad acting dominates the film with only few good moments. Sitting in the cinema with three twilight fans I was tortured. Only one thing that stood out was the cinematography which for a few moments was quite good. I actually sat up for it but it became like the film bad and straw like and wooden. I hope the books are better than the films and I hope they do release the next one one day apart so everyone will shut up about them. In three words, Vampires are awful.
* 1 Star

To be fair this was a far better adaptation to a mediocre source material then the two accompanying films in this, the harshly judged Twilight saga. Personally, I have a slight bias against these films, as I have read the incredibly bland and banal source material written by Stephenie Meyers. The storyline is a bore, which could have been salvaged by interesting characters and extraordinary circumstances. Bella, the supposed female heroine for the tween generation, is so pointlessly one sided and uninteresting that any depressed teenage girl can project herself onto her and become the love interest of a vampire. This desperation to be different, loved deeply for yourself, and dependent on someone else for your happiness is pathetic and anti-feminist. I do give consideration for the direction, a giant step up from the previous; Catherine Hardwicke. The location shots, cinematography, and sweeping views of the beautiful Seattle landscape were appreciated, lending to a foreboding feel somewhat shattered by the performances. Many of the principal actors were as benign as ever, their emotional responses somehow conduited with a bloodthirsty growl ever so often. Kristen Stewart, who has shown some great strength in Into the Wild and The Runaways, is so sickening as a nothing sort of character that I just become angered watching her struggle through her only two emotions: anger and bliss. Some scenes were engrossing, but that may just be the subtleness of Stewart's acting, Pattinson's strong presence, and the added impressions of Dakota Fanning and the newly cast Bryce Dallas Howard as Victoria, the villain for the film. It wasn't smart or interesting, but it was still better than watching Edward sparkle for a straight hour and a half.

The best so far in the Saga, the most faithful to the novels. However, my prediction for BREAKING DAWN, since the book was boring and actually stupid, is that it is going to be more a comedy than anything because of bad acting and desire to get the series over with. In other words, I'm glad this one is the midpoint rather than the penultimate (BREAKING DAWN will be two parts), because a penultimate entry in a saga like this just starts frustration, angst, and scrapping of plot materials--all to get the entire series's production over with.

The Twilight movies are downright painful, I'll say that right now. The first one made me want to puke but that was only because it fell into the So Bad Its Good category and that was only because it was kind of like getting tickled until you throw up. You could tell that no one knew how to act or the director was bipolar or whatever. The movie was definitely off but if you were fucked up enough it was actually watchable. Now that the studio knows it has a cash cow on its hands and is putting competent human beings in charge of the subsequent installments these movies are just no fucking fun. They're like throwing up because of food poisoning. They've still got this stressed urgency whenever something supposedly important happens and all the characters stand next to each other intensely but its like they're real movies. Eclipse works under the supposition that you've seen the previous movies dozens of times each and that because these people are attractive you'll automatically give a shit. The acting s e e m s like its a little better this time around (I may have gotten numb to it at this point) and the back stories were nice even though they weren't interesting. The whole vampire war was anticlimactic and why the fuck do I do this to myself?

I laughed at quite a few scenes and the love story just gets more and more beautiful every time I see the films. One of the best out of the sequels without question. Robert Pattison and Taylor Lautner have gorgeous bodies too which help the film. A must see!

Another movie that's worth watching. I love these movies & I'm for Team Jacob all the way. I really wish Bella & Jacob were a couple although I'm starting to switch to Team Edward because I love Robert Pattinson! :)

The only Movie i would give over a 50%, just for entertainment value

If you had told me six months ago that I would have watched all three Twilight movies (and the first one twice!), I probably would have laughed in your face. If you then went on to tell me that I actually sort of enjoyed the third one, the laugh would have faded away, replaced by an expression of barely restrained disgust, and then probable self-loathing. But then that was six months ago - I was a much prouder man, one who knew admittedly little about Twilight, unafraid to talk shit about it but open-minded enough to eventually give it a try.

And listen, I know the three star rating is probably sort of confounding. It confounds me too, because this is not and has never been a good series. The characters are vacant, the plot implausible, and Stephenie Meyer's mythology should have humiliated her right out of the young adult ring. But this movie actually has a spark. Maybe it's David Slade's direction that deserves credit - his fight scenes are worlds better than the disasters we saw in New Moon, and his colors and cinematography are much more tightly controlled. Perhaps spending a total of six hours with this collection of nitwits has somehow endeared me to them, in a way that a brain damaged puppy would almost surely be endearing. They're floundering, but what else can they possibly do? Or it may even be that the series, after its woefully empty second chapter, has actually hit some semblance of dramatic stride. There are actual stakes now, lives in the balance; it isn't just about Bella hesitating, Edward being cryptic for no real reason other than enigmatic affect, and Jacob being boring. Well, it's still about Jacob being boring, but that will never change. Stephenie Meyer has finally managed to transpose Bella into a situation so clearly bigger than her, to where her overwhelmed feelings become entirely understandable. As an audience proxy, she's never been used better, actually eliciting some degree of empathy.

This is almost invariably going to be the high point of the series, but even with the earnest efforts of everyone involved, it's still the best work that a set of cheap tools can possibly make. After evaluating its strengths objectively, they simply don't seem like enough to keep me around, and yet I stay. It's not an issue of schadenfreude, because there's really very little humor to be found in the idiocy of the Twilight saga. At this point, I think for me it's reached a perverse need to understand the allure of this series. For the first time, I was actually taken a step closer to that goal. In the midst of a hackneyed war between vampires and werewolves, Meyer found a reasonable human center, and even if I can't relate to it entirely, I at least know why many of this series' fans do.